The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Loading ...

Loading ...

This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe

By Caryl Rivers and Rosalind C. Barnett

WeNews commentators

(WOMENSENEWS)—Once upon a time, not so very long ago, men who went into nursing or elementary school teaching were seen as less than macho.

In the popular 2004 movie “Meet the Fockers” the fact that Ben Stiller was a male nurse was a running gag throughout the film.

But attitudes are shifting fast in our hard-pressed economy. Men are now gravitating toward female-dominated occupations, according to a recent analysis of census data by the New York Times.

The Times analysis showed that from 2000 to 2010, occupations that are more than 70 percent female accounted for almost a third of all job growth for men, double the share of the previous decade.

And as men move into what used to be female territory, they are doing very well; better than women in fact. In the 20 most common occupations for women, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Women’s Policy Research, men out-earn women in all but two. For example, the median weekly earnings for female social workers is $798, while for men it is $902.

White men in these fields are climbing aboard what’s coming to be called the "Glass Escalator." They get a double boost from being white and being male and rise more quickly than equally qualified women in position, pay and benefits.

This is in stark contrast to what happens to women who move into male-dominated fields. Historically, “token women” have faced discrimination and marginalization and were often overlooked for a promotion, even when their work was stellar.

A Unique Effect

Intriguingly, the Glass Escalator only seems to operate for white men in female-dominant jobs when they are supervised by women or members of minority groups. (That applies to a lot of men, because women often have seniority in these fields.) This effect was uncovered in a 2010 study by sociologist Ryan Smith at Baruch College, City University of New York.

White male supervisors also have a greater probability than minority men of receiving lucrative retirement benefits, thereby further widening both the gender and color wage gaps.

Smith suggests three possible explanations for why female and minority supervisors are putting white men on the Glass Escalator:

No. 1: White men bring their privileges with them when they enter female-dominated occupations, and women and minority supervisors may simply yield to the weight of these societal stereotypes.